In short
Most common fake: Calls or texts from fake Coinbase support saying your account is compromised.
Safest check: Go to coinbase.com directly by typing it, not through a link.
Where to report it: Email security@coinbase.com with the full URL of a phishing site, full headers of a phishing email, or screenshots of a scam text.
What Coinbase says
Coinbase says its support agents will never ask for your password, 2-step verification code or seed phrase, ask you to move or secure your funds, or ask you to install software or remotely access your device. It also says it will never call or text you with a new seed phrase or wallet address to move funds to. Source: Coinbase Help
Common fake Coinbase messages
These are the 5 shapes a fake Coinbase message usually takes. They are listed in the order we see them most often, and none of them is something Coinbase itself does.
- Calls or texts from fake Coinbase support saying your account is compromised
- Requests to move funds to a new safe wallet or seed phrase
- Requests for your password or 2-step verification code
- Instructions to install remote access software
- Spoofed caller IDs and lookalike web addresses such as misspelled Coinbase domains
Coinbase's real web addresses
Genuine Coinbase links and emails use these domains. Look at the part just before the first single slash: coinbase.com is real, but coinbase-support-center.com or coinbase.com.account-check.top are not.
- coinbase.com
- help.coinbase.com
- mail.coinbase.com
Scammers can also hide a fake link behind real-looking text. Learn how to read a web address.
How to check a Coinbase message safely
- Go to coinbase.com directly by typing it, not through a link
- Contact Coinbase only through the official Contact Us page on its Help Center
- Check that emails come from an official coinbase.com address listed in Coinbase Help
- If something seems wrong, lock your account from the official site or app
How to report a fake Coinbase message
- Email security@coinbase.com with the full URL of a phishing site, full headers of a phishing email, or screenshots of a scam text. Official details on help.coinbase.com
- Forward scam text messages to 7726 (SPAM). Official details on help.coinbase.com
Also report it to the official fraud service in your country. See the worldwide list.
If you clicked, paid or shared details
Act quickly. It makes a difference.
- If you entered card or bank details, call your bank now using the number on your card, and ask them to block the card.
- If you entered a password, change it at coinbase.com, typed into your browser yourself, and turn on two-step verification. Do not use any link from the message.
- Expect follow-up calls or messages pretending to help, sometimes claiming to be from Coinbase security. Never share one-time codes and never move money to a "safe account".
- Email security@coinbase.com with the full URL of a phishing site, full headers of a phishing email, or screenshots of a scam text, then delete the message.
More help: Crypto and investment scams and what to do after a scam.
How to protect yourself next time
Watch for anyone using your identity
If you shared ID documents, card details or a Social Security number, monitoring can alert you when someone opens credit or accounts in your name.
Free: In the US, a credit freeze at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion is free and blocks most new-credit fraud. Elsewhere, ask your bank and your credit reference agency about fraud alerts.
- Aura Partner link US identity theft protection with credit monitoring and fraud insurance.
Keep security software with web protection on your devices
It blocks many known scam and malware websites and warns about dangerous apps. That matters most if you installed an app or "support" tool someone asked you to.
Free: Keep your phone and browser updated, and leave Google Play Protect or Microsoft Defender switched on. Both are free.
- Bitdefender Partner link Security suite for phone and computer with web and scam protection.
Compare the tools that help, and what each costs
Links marked Partner link may earn us a commission, at no cost to you. It never changes our advice, and the free option always comes first. Affiliate disclosure.
Questions people ask
Does Coinbase send messages asking for payment or personal details?
Coinbase says its support agents will never ask for your password, 2-step verification code or seed phrase, ask you to move or secure your funds, or ask you to install software or remotely access your device. It also says it will never call or text you with a new seed phrase or wallet address to move funds to.
How can I check if a Coinbase message is real?
Go to coinbase.com directly by typing it, not through a link. Contact Coinbase only through the official Contact Us page on its Help Center. Check that emails come from an official coinbase.com address listed in Coinbase Help. If something seems wrong, lock your account from the official site or app.
How do I report a fake Coinbase message?
Email security@coinbase.com with the full URL of a phishing site, full headers of a phishing email, or screenshots of a scam text. Forward scam text messages to 7726 (SPAM).
I clicked a link in a fake Coinbase message but did not enter anything. Am I at risk?
Opening a link is far less serious than filling one in. Close it, and if you need your account, reach it by typing coinbase.com yourself. Clicking does tell the sender your number is live, so expect more messages for a while: email security@coinbase.com with the full url of a phishing site, full headers of a phishing email, or screenshots of a scam text.
Have you had this one?
Tell other people what the message said and how it reached you. It helps someone recognise it before they tap.
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Official sources and further reading
We check our pages against official advice from the organisations themselves and from government agencies.
- Technical support and impersonation scams (Coinbase Help)
- Reporting phishing sites (Coinbase Help)